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There aren't many missions that the two of them don't go on together.
After Muzan's defeat, many of the demons had lost their purpose. Many lost their will to fight, or regained memories and allowed themselves to burn in the sun to escape the cruel reality of being a demon. Some, much like Tamayo and Yushiro, had a sense of humanity and did their best to live normal lives. It was sad.
However, the need for demon slayers was still present. With Muzan and the upper moons gone, demons were weaker and lacked an easy way to strengthen themselves; though the absence of a leader to control them led to many demons trying to take that place. It turned into a competition, low ranked demons fighting to consume as many humans as possible and overcome weaknesses so they could breach the top and become the new Demon King. With this threat still present, people were left with little time to relax.
Most of the Hashira disbanded, with lost limbs and disabilities that hindered their fighting skills and made continuing to serve as demon slayers difficult. However, the Master found it useful to keep the Hashira in order to protect civilians who couldn't even pick up a sword, which meant that there was a need for more strong demon slayers. Most of the surviving demons were weak, demons that even the lowest ranking demon slayers could defeat with just a bit of trouble. It was still impossible for these demons to reproduce, so once they were all terminated things would calm down even more.
Thus, missions were still being sent out to the surviving and willing demon slayers. They were given more freedom—since most cases weren't a cause for urgency. The only time stakes were high was when many people went missing or were found dead in a specific area. This wasn't often, but it was a sign of a demon trying to quickly gain power and make it to the top. Those demons remained priority, to be taken out early before they got enough power to match even a former Lower Moon.
After their fight with Kokushibo, Genya and Muichiro got closer. Muichiro was left with one hand, and a new array of scars on his body. It wasn't new to him to be injured, so he paid no mind to it and continued fighting. Even if he wasn't as strong as his previous, healthy self, he would never stop fighting. As long as he had a hand to hold a sword, he vowed to protect others from demons to make up for past mistakes.
Genya, on the other hand, seemed to have left the battle unharmed. He was sure he noticed the other slayer got injured at least once, but he was back in perfect condition not long after the fight. It was odd, but Muichiro didn’t mention it further. He was often forgetful, so there was a possibility he was too focused on the need to win rather than what was happening to his fellow demon slayers. For the only one in the fight who hadn’t risen to the Hashira rank, Genya was incredibly skilled to avoid permanent damage. Even himself, one of the best and fastest learning swordsmen, was left with only one hand to swing his sword with. He tried to shake those self-conscious thoughts from his mind, finding no use in beating himself up over the small loss. Due to the injury, he was weaker than before; it was something that kept him up at night, wondering if he was even strong enough to call himself a Hashira anymore. Sometimes, he thought, it would be better if he stepped down and let someone else take his place. These thoughts did no good for others, so he never voiced them and continued to fulfil his duty as a Hashira, even when he deemed himself unworthy.
There were two people he actually chose to spend his time with: Tanjiro and Genya. They were around his age, kind, and overall enjoyable to be around. Tanjiro’s friends were okay, but being around them all was a bit too much for someone like him. He felt much too out of place, preferring to hang out with people one on one—if at all.
Once Nezuko was turned back into a human, Tanjiro very obviously stopped being a slayer and went back to his normal life. He deserved it, after all that had happened in the past few years. Muichiro was left with a lot more free days than before Muzan’s death, so he found himself meeting with other people more often. It was odd.. ever since his family’s death, he had spent most of his time alone. He had no family left, no friends, and was left with a simple purpose: protecting others from the demons. Now, he had friends, and even people he could think of as family. Tanjiro was like a friend and an older brother; Rengoku, Gyomei, and Mitsuri were kind and gentle, like he remembered his parents to be. For once in his life, things were getting better.
Genya was a friend. Their relationship was complicated in his own mind. Muichiro was familiar with family bonds after regaining his memories; he could decipher those feelings and allow himself to see others as found family members since he didn’t have any left. Even before he was a Hashira, the Mist Pillar lacked friends. He was only close with his brother, who he loved despite how the older twin treated him. An unconditional love, grown from when they were first born and unbreakable even after all they had gone through. That was a familial bond.
The strong attachment he felt towards Genya was odd; he didn’t particularly see him as family. There was a different feeling, one that he simply wasn’t able to decipher at the moment. It didn’t matter. There was a possibility that what they went through during the battle with Upper Moon
One had caused him to grow more fond of the other.
Nonetheless, they took any opportunity to go on missions together. Muichiro didn’t like fighting with others, but Genya wasn’t so bad. They were only two of the very few demon slayers that continued to accept missions and fight, so he found comfort in someone he knew. Most missions were simple; they found the demon within a few hours, and one slice from Muichiro’s sword left them taken care of. Occasionally, they would have to put up more of a fight. The two of them had their own sort of routine; it consisted of Genya distracting or injuring the demon while Muichiro went straight for the neck when he was given an opening. This was something that worked easily for them, and it quickly got the job done so they could go back to those relaxing days of just talking, or even simply enjoying the company of the other person. Neither of them were very talkative, so conversations stayed short and to the point. They both didn’t mind, so neither made too much of an effort to keep conversations going. During the times they spent together, they quietly did their own things while in each other's presence. They would eat together, train together, and sometimes even sit a little closer together than friends did, but minimal words were spoken.
The other half of Genya’s free time was spent with his brother. Of course, he had a surviving family that he was trying to rebuild a bond with. There was one day Genya opened up to him a bit,
**
“I want to make Sanemi love me again.”
Muichiro lifted his head, large eyes widening slightly while he placed down the small teacup he was sipping from. They were simply sitting and enjoying some tea that Muichiro made, when Genya suddenly said something that was likely on his mind for a while. The past few months, they slowly began to get to know each other more. Genya was a bit more willing to open up, but he refused to seem weak and thus never got into too much detail. Mui found opening up to be difficult. He wanted to, because he trusted Genya, but he was hardly aware of his own feelings and struggled to put them into words. Thus, he stayed quiet.
“I did something in the past that hurt him. I want to apologize, so he can stop carrying the burden on his own. He’s all I have—and.. I’m all he has, so I want to be a good little brother for him.”
Not saying a word, Muichiro listened. He stared, almost blankly, waiting for Genya to continue. When he didn’t, the Mist Pillar lifted himself up slightly and shuffled closer to the other boy.
This wasn’t his best subject. He’d only regained his own memories not long ago—and before that he was borderline apathetic. He couldn’t decipher social clues; when people were upset with him, he wasn’t aware. When others were feeling sad, Muichiro hardly noticed unless they were crying. Even then, he was at a loss for what to do. Family members died all the time, and as a Hashira he dealt with many people who were grieving, yet every time he stood and watched, waiting for them to calm down without saying much. He couldn’t bring back their dead family. He couldn’t replace them. He couldn't apologize on a demon’s behalf.
That was when he didn’t know what it was like to be sad.
Now, he was more aware of how that felt after remembering the loss of his family. He remembered how incredibly painful it felt to be sad, and he remembered how he yearned for someone, anyone, to just be there. Someone there to hold him, or even to sit by his side while he cried. It even went far enough that he imagined his father holding him while he cried, a small instance of comfort he remembered from when his parents were alive. In that moment, he was desperate for the comfort that was given to him by his father. Something ripped away along with his memories and family, another thing to miss. Those memories gave some sort of insight on what to do when someone else was feeling that way.
Muichiro was finally brought back to reality, looking up at Genya. The slayer had set down his own cup of tea, hands laid in his lap while looking down at Mui with a rather casual expression. But Muichiro noticed the crease in his brown, and the slight downturned direction of his overall facial expression. He looked a bit angry, but the younger male knew based on his tone alone that he wasn’t angry at all.
Finally, he lifted his arms and held them out to carefully enclose them around Genya’s upper body. He had to lift himself up on his knees to get closer to his level, leaning into him and holding on with an ever so gentle grip. He could feel the way Genya startled, his muscles tensing up and suddenly at a loss for what to do. Muichiro did not falter though, since he sensed no forms of protest. After a few seconds, he felt the other relax in his arms. Yes, that was a start. Did that mean it was working? Really, he was so new to this kind of thing so he was a bit hesitant to do anything more. What if he said something wrong? What should he even start with saying? Before he could even think of something to respond with, he felt strong arms wrap around him and pull them even closer together. He almost let out a gasp of surprise, but held his breath and just leaned into Genya as much as he was being pulled to.
“That’s okay. Thank you, you don’t have to say anything.”
Muichiro would be lying if he said he wasn’t surprised. Was he that obvious? How did Genya read him so easily? They didn’t move from that spot, so the holding must have helped in comforting him a bit. Good, he was glad, and noted that for later situations as well. Hugging seemed to be something people found comfort and enjoyment in, but being this close to someone was a bit difficult for Mui. Perhaps he could save them for people he was close to, and work on finding other ways to help people through words or less physical contact, at least.
“Um—I.. I do not know much about your relationship, but Sanemi is just brash on the outside. Since you two are family, I’m sure he does not hate you. He just wants you to be safe… so just try not to get hurt, and you’ll be a perfect brother for him.”
That was the first time he ever hugged someone since his family died. It was the first time he was able to be there for someone like his family used to be there for him.
It was also the first time he saw Genya smile so gently that it made his heart hurt. Hurt?
**
Since then, Genya spent a little more of his free time with his brother. More and more, he noticed the small clues of them becoming closer, like family again. Sanemi was still as harsh as ever, and he never quit being a Hashira, but he made time to spend it with his brother. That alone was progress for someone like Sanemi, who didn’t shift his schedule or sacrifice his time for anyone. They were happy. Slowly but surely, they were able to regain a family bond that no one in this generation should ever take for granted again.
On days that Genya was not with his brother, he spent them with Mui. He was aware that the Mist Pillar was always alone unless he was at another estate, and enjoyed being one of the few people Muichiro liked.
They got closer and closer after every new visit, and even seemed to talk a bit more each time. Instead of sitting in silence, they would mention some things that happened in the time that they were apart. Genya talked about Sanemi, and how their relationship improved; Muichiro mainly talked about what he’d eaten, or maybe a letter he received from Tanjiro. There were even times he would catch himself laughing. Maybe not a full on laugh, but he smiled a good amount with Genya. It had been so long since he’d been this happy.
-
There were a few nights that Genya would stay over at his estate. Occasionally for missions, but usually just because Sanemi was off somewhere else, or perhaps he just wanted to spend time with Muichiro. He liked to convince himself it was the latter.
It happened more often after a specific incident, when they were both assigned a mission that took a bit longer to accomplish. They spent a day at an inn, planning to sleep until sun down before they would begin their hunt for the demon.
**
They arrived at the small inn just after midday, entering the small room and placing their swords down in a place within reach—just in case. They had been searching for the demon all of the previous night, and yet they couldn’t find a single sign. At the very least, their pursuit prevented the demon from attacking the nearby village they were currently staying at, so no one died. Now they had to spend the rest of daylight within the inn before continuing their hunt once the sun began to descend. He would never complain, but it was just tedious, boring work. The demon would take mere minutes to kill, yet they had to spend all this time searching because it refused to reveal itself to them.
Muichiro sighed softly and walked over to sit down on one of the beds. There were two inside of the room, separated only a bit because of how small it was. They were only staying for a few hours, and would spend that time sleeping, so a cheap living area was all that was needed. Shifting on the bed, he placed his hands down on it before lowering down into a lying position, not bothering to get underneath the blankets or get any more comfortable than that. He was used to sleeping in his uniform, on any surface that was safe. With the amount of traveling the demon slayers did, they didn’t have the luxury to be picky about living conditions. While closing his eyes, Mui stretched out once before curling in on himself and preparing to sleep.
“I will wake up before the sun goes down..”
Was the last thing he muttered before drifting off into sleep. Genya had only gotten himself situated on the bed by the time Muichiro was dozing. It made him chuckle under his breath, laying down beneath one of the covers of his own bed to follow suit.
Though, after about an hour of sleeping, Genya was slowly coaxed back into consciousness out of instinct alone. Turning onto his side, he slowly opened his eyes and allowed them a second to focus on the bed next to him. Muichiro had hardly moved from the position he fell asleep in. His legs were curled up at his chest and arms folded by his chest, small hands resting atop each other directly in front of his face, with features that looked even more delicate while asleep.
What came to his surprise were the tears pooling out of his closed eyes, wetting dark eyelashes and soaking into the pillow beneath his head.
Genya shot upright, looking down at the other bed and blinking the drowsiness of sleep from his mind. Clearly unsure of what to do, the slayer moved to sit on the edge of the bed, one hand lifting out towards Muichiro. Maybe waking him up would solve the problem.. it was probably just a nightmare, which Genya dealt with often himself. It was odd, he had never seen the Hashira cry before. He was not fully aware of his past, but he did know that Mui was alone. The boy, only fifteen now, was left without any living family members. At the time of Muzan’s defeat, he was only fourteen. Sanemi told him a bit, but just like Genya, he wasn’t aware of much. That was enough proof that the younger boy was simply not one to talk about it. That was okay, but he wanted Muichiro to trust him enough to at least speak up when something was troubling him. The boy held a constant blank expression, one that only shifted once or twice a day, at best. He was grateful to see those sides of him, grateful to see him smile, even grateful to see him pout and get frustrated when Genya teased him about something or made a joke. Those were miracles to witness, but sometimes he wished the other would show him the bad sides as well. Didn’t he ever get lonely? He had to be lonely, but every time Genya departed he waved goodbye with a gentle, casual expression. Leaving Muichiro alone in that house wasn’t something he enjoyed doing, but he couldn’t spend all his time there. There was a chance that Mui didn’t even enjoy the company—though small. He still yearned to rebuild his bond with Sanemi, so he had to meet up with him often as well. He just… wished Muichiro could stay by his side all of the time, so that Genya could assure that he was never alone again.
Unfortunately, there was no way he would be able to voice those concerns out loud.
Before Genya could reach any further, Muichiro’s tear-filled eyes shot open and he startled awake. That small body jumped as if he’d just heard a loud crash, fingers clenching the bedsheets for a brief moment before he shot up and quickly scanned the room with darting eyes and a frantic expression.
His sudden burst did not last long, ending when he finally registered another person in the room—someone who was staring right at him with eyes filled with worry. Light blue irises stared into Genya’s, glossy with tears and shaking ever so slightly.
‘Muichiro, I’m here.’ Yes, just say it Genya. Spit it out, say something. Anything will do. Reassure him, tell him it’s okay to cry, ask him if he’s okay, remind him that you’re here for him if he needs it. You have to say something or else—
“Oh, Genya. Why are you awake?”
Muichiro spoke. His small hands lifted, wiping away the remaining tears from his eyes and rubbing his cheeks clean. Those hands, which were shaking so much that it looked as though they had been sitting in a bowl of ice water. His face, paler than the White Tea they were enjoying earlier, while smiling and having light-hearted conversations about their uneventful days. A boy so shaken up by what seemed to be a nightmare, and yet…
His tone was casual, his voice quiet but calm. How did he manage to look so frail and damaged but sound completely normal? Genya probably would’ve been fooled by such a tricky voice if it weren’t for the fact that he woke up before Muichiro, and witnessed his straining before the other was able to push it aside in order to act like nothing happened and move on.
“Muichiro….”
“Hm?”
Genya almost got angry at such a simple response. Why was he so set on staying silent? He wanted to help. He wanted to rip those bad thoughts from his little head and beat them down until they were nothing but dust. He wanted to crush every emotion other than happiness and contentment from within Muichiro, so he would only see him smile and relax from then on. There was no way he could accomplish something like that if the other refused to even acknowledge his own feelings.
“Mui.. Mui, you don’t have to be strong. It’s okay, I’ll be here for you when you feel like this. Please trust me.”
While uttering those words, Genya stood from his own bed and walked over, sitting down beside Muichiro. Ignoring the boy’s surprised expression and widening eyes, he held out his arms and wrapped them around the smaller body in front of him. He didn’t hesitate to pull Muichiro in close, holding onto the back of his head with one hand and resting him carefully against his chest.
Muichiro seems to startle again, but this time he wasn’t startled out of fear. Hands now limp in his lap, and face buried within a comforting body, surrounded by two large arms holding him safely in a hug.
That was when it all came crashing down.
The pillar lifted his hands and placed them onto Genya’s chest, gripping his clothing and fighting the sharp pain in his head that was forcing tears out of his eyes, and the suffocating feeling in his throat that made his breath hitch and had him choking on quiet sobs. Oh, how much everything hurts at this moment. He didn’t know crying hurt so bad. Not only was he presenting such a strong vulnerability to someone else, his everything from the neck up was just in pain. His head, throat, eyes, even his cheeks were burning hot with shame.
And yet, Genya did not say anything to berate him. Those arms stayed around him, keeping him close and allowing him the slight privacy of holding his face up close to his chest so that it couldn’t be seen. The comforting touch of another person, not being compromised by harsh words or words that wouldn’t help. Genya did not tell him he was sorry, because there was nothing to be sorry for. He did not tell him it was okay, because he knew it wasn’t and saying it was okay would not bring his life back, his childhood back. The only thing he did was tell Muichiro that it was okay to cry, to let it out, and it was okay for him to receive the comfort of others whenever he needed it.
Before that night, the only time he remembered crying so hard was after his brother's death.
**
After that particular mission, Genya spent more nights at his estate. Sometimes, he would push their futons together and they would lay closer. It seemed to be comforting, easing some of the nightmares that both of them had consistently.
It seemed as though that breach of vulnerability was responded to with positive changes. Muichiro tried to speak up a bit more. When Genya would leave to see his brother, Mui would look sad. Sometimes, he would admit that he would be missed. It was more common for him to get excited when Genya showed up at his door, his usually blank eyes lighting up ever so slightly and the corners of his lips turning upwards into a slight smile. Occasionally, he would ask Genya to accompany him on missions, or simply just for dinner. Over half of their time was spent together now, with Genya spending every free night he had over at the Tokito estate.
There were days they spent out of the house, too. Muichiro made himself more and more comfortable being in public. They started with going places to eat, visiting small ramen shops and eating there in comfortable silence. His voice was quieter when they were in public, occasionally the server would ask him politely to repeat what he'd just said. Genya would jump in, repeating it for him with a slight roll of his eyes. He'd learned that the annoyance wasn't directed towards him, it was directed towards other people for being unable to hear him. That wasn't their fault, but Genya seemed to be the type to have an odd sort of aggression towards others without ill intent. He was kind to the people he was closer with—mainly Tanjiro, Sanemi, and himself. It seemed like he softened up around them; Muichiro found it endearing. He started to pay more attention to the other boy, watching him and taking notice of the small changes in his expression or tone. He was hyper aware of how Genya acted, and the things that he did. As someone who normally drifted off in his own thoughts, the simple act of paying attention to someone was the biggest compliment to that person. They'd earned his interest, when normally he cared about nothing but himself.
Muichiro didn't think about it a lot. His mind was always blank, fogged with rough memories and trying to remember if he'd eaten anything the previous day. That was different when he was with Genya. He thought about the tea he was making, and remembered the exact way that Genya liked it so he didn't have to ask each time. When they left the house, he would look at the scenery around them and think about whether or not Genya would like a certain store, an animal walking close by, or even a flower bush sitting outside of a shop. He remembered the foods that Genya liked, when he couldn't even remember what he liked himself. He remembered every one of his smiles, since they were almost as rare as Muichiro's. He also remembered what made him smile, making a note to do that again—or make sure Genya got to experience what made him even more happy.
Now, there was only one thing clouding his mind. When would he see Genya again? What did Genya like? Why was Genya smiling? Genya, Genya, Genya.
It took him a long time to figure out what these thoughts meant.
A few months after Muzan's defeat, he visited Mitsuri for the first time within those months. She was living with Obanai at her estate, and he'd come at a busy time because both Senjuro and Kyojuro were paying their visits as well.
Kyojuro hadn't changed much, as usual. His hair was slightly longer, he had a scar across his left eye (which no longer worked, and he looked even brighter. How was that possible?
Senjuro sat right next to him. He was a small boy, just a year younger than Muichiro. His hair was just as bright as Kyojuro's, only a bit shorter and it was all tied back into a ponytail. He looked gentle, and he was quiet. Their features were similar, but Senjuro looked soft and kind while Kyojuro looked... aggressive and kind. Muichiro greeted them both with a slight bow, earning a pat on the back and bright smile from the older of the two. Senjuro smiled as well, but it was clearly a more sheepish smile.
Mitsuri looked similar as well, with her long braids, sweet face, and curvy build. She hugged him as a greeting, which he didn't quite mind, but he didn't hug her back. Her presence was comforting, and she was incredibly kind. She'd sent him a few letters, and while he didn't always send one back, she was always delighted to hear how he was doing when he did. It must've been a lot of work, being so nice to everyone.
Maybe he was just different.
Obanai didn't greet him with anything but a nod. One difference with him is that he didn't wear his mask, and he was blind. Three large scars going diagonally across his face were the cause of this disability. This was also the reason he resigned from the Hashira, which Muichiro did not blame him for. Obanai was known for his speed and agility, something that he wouldn't be able to improve soon enough for him to continue as a Hashira. Mitsuri resigned as well, because the two of them got married. They were happy, spending their days relaxing at home together. Good for them.
Muichiro joined them on the floor, sitting politely on his knees and nodding to Mitsuri when she brought him some tea. There was something he wanted to discuss with her, alongside wanting to visit of course. She was the one he trusted most with his newfound emotions, she understood feelings very well even if she was a bit confusing in her explanations. He felt a little uncomfortable voicing his feelings to Obanai and the Rengokus as well—but he trusted them enough to not ask them to leave.
"I can't stop.. thinking about someone. I never really paid attention to anyone.. but all the sudden I can't get this one person off my mind. I want to see them. I miss them, even though we meet often. I enjoy talking to them."
The explanation was short, but rather blunt. That's what he was here for, after all. He wanted clear advice, or at least an explanation, so he wasn't going to beat around the bush just because he felt shameful. Mitsuri and Kyojuro would not laugh at him.
Though when he looked up from his tea, he was left blinking at three shocked expressions. The only person who's expression didn't change was Obanai. Even Senjuro was staring at him, eyes wider than usual and eyebrows raised. Suddenly, he felt all too self conscious. What? Did he say something odd? He didn't mention Genya's name, figuring that wasn't business he wanted to be discussing with everyone. He mentioned him in the occasional letters he sent Mitsuri, but they were all brief things, like how he'd gone out for ramen with him, or how he came over for dinner that night. There was.. nothing wrong with his feelings, were there? It meant he was good friends with Genya, right? There was nothing wrong with enjoying someone's company.
"Oh my! You actually like him?!"
It was the first thing Mitsuri blurted out, and the first to break the silence. It earned a face palm from Obanai, Kyojuro laughing, and Senjuro giving a concerned glance in his direction.
"Him—how'd you know?"
Muichiro slumped in defeat, trying to remember if he said anything that hinted at it being Genya. He couldn't even recall all he'd said just a minute ago. His hand shifted into his lap, fingers clenching together with slight anxiety for the situation at hand. He really hoped there was nothing wrong with his emotions, he wanted to be a good friend to Genya. He wanted to be there for him, and act normal. He wouldn't let his past shackle him down to a life without happiness. One day, he would achieve it while also making sure the people close to him felt it as well. He didn't want to be the cause of their negative emotions any longer.
"Muichiro, you talk about him in every single one of your letters! You don't send a lot, and yet he's in every one at least once!! I was happy you'd made a friend, and now I'm even happier that you've found someone you love!!"
Mitsuri's words were like a huge gust of wind knocking his senses back. He wanted to see Genya all of the time, he wanted to go everywhere with him, he wanted to make him happy, and he wanted to be as close to him as possible.
Oh my god, did he love Genya?
-
One week after that realization, they were placed on a Mission together. He hadn't seen Genya since, not like he had any idea how to admit such feelings in the first place.
The demon was hanging around a large town, taking and killing people who were wandering around late at night. The amount of people disappearing was of concerning numbers, so they were told to be careful. It was likely a much stronger demon—one that continued to feast on any humans it found in order to get stronger and rise the ranks. Muichiro wasn't worried, he was a Hashira after all. Even taking care of the Twelve Kizuki was doable for him. Maybe it would cause a bit more struggle now that he had only one working hand, but he had Genya to help him.
They met up at the Tokito residence, and seeing Genya again had him overflowing with happiness. It didn't show on his face, though, which almost always stayed blank no matter how he was feeling inside. The most telling feature was the way his eyes brightened upon looking up at the other male.
"Genya. Welcome, come inside." He greeted, stepping out of the way.
Muichiro turned and walked further into the house after inviting him inside. They had spent plenty of days and nights in this very home, so he didn't need to show Genya around or lead him to the sitting area. Plus, they did not have time to sit around and chat. They had to be on the road as soon as possible, so that they could hopefully make it to the city by nightfall. Quickly, he grabbed some onigiri he prepared for the road, as well as his sword and some first aid items just in case. Once he collected everything they could need on the mission, he silently exited the estate with Genya following him in understanding. He did not hesitate to start running, only glancing back once to make sure Genya was following before he focused solely on making it to the city before anyone else died. Come nightfall, the demon would attack once again. They would have to wait, and scope the area the whole time to catch it in the act of hunting.
The distance was long, so they took a few breaks as to not completely tire themselves out right before the fight. When they finally arrived at the city, there was still an hour or so before the sun would go down fully. That gave them time to scope out the area and regain some energy.
Muichiro stopped at the entrance and looked up at Genya, bringing out a small box. He opened it up and presented four individual onigiri out towards the other. It earned an appreciative nod from him, hands reaching out to take two of the offered onigiri.
"You eat the other two, okay? You haven't eaten today." Genya remarked, raising his eyebrows as if expecting verbal confirmation that he was right.
That earned the slightest pout from the shorter male, his eyebrows furrowing like he was caught. He didn't respond, taking the onigiri and getting rid of the box. He wasn't reluctant, really, he just often forgot to make himself food or go out and buy some. Living alone made his forgetfulness worse, as he didn't have other people around to mention that they were hungry, or to remind him that he needed to make sure the house was clean. That was all just so much work, and he really would prefer to just lay around on days he wasn't working.
"How is the onigiri, Genya?" Muichiro decided to ask a question so that the previous remark would be brushed out of the way. Genya grunted in approval, but that was enough for him. It was just onigiri, after all.
"I'm glad you like it." He tried to enforce the kindness in his tone, but it really was hard. Instead, he bit into one of the onigiri and ate it as a distraction. Genya seemed happy to watch him eat, so he was pleased.
Their peaceful time was disrupted when Muichiro sensed something.. off. It was getting quiet, as the sun continued to sink below the trees. Dropping the onigiri from his hands, he turned and began running deeper into the city. There, he found a demon woman that stood almost decent feet tall—her hair was long and flowed freely down her back; it was a dark green hue. Her clothing was minimal, consisting of a very ripped up kimono that made it seem like she just got freed from a dog fight. She was standing between two buildings, towering over two children who were huddled up together and trembling with fear. They were enclosed within a bundle of what seemed to be thorny branches, each one stabbing into their skin and causing many small wounds that bled.
Muichiro didn't hesitate to draw his sword and jump between the two parties, slashing open the thorns since the demon was caught off guard. Good, he was able to break through them. Fortunately, Genya arrived at the same time and drew his gun to shoot the demon straight in the head. It caused her to stagger to the ground, allowing Muichiro enough time to grab the children and run far enough out of danger to set them down.
"Go! Run the opposite direction and get help from someone else! We'll take care of the demon." He yelled the command, pushing them gently before turning right back and running towards the enemy, who was luckily being distracted by Genya. Good, no one else died. The demon had the ability to manipulate thorn-like vines. It could be stronger, it may be difficult to cut if she is using her full strength. The thorns on the vines would cause some harm, but it would only be minimal. They might leave with some scratches and blood loss, but those wouldn't be able to cause them any severe injuries as long as they were smart about it.
"Genya! Try to avoid the vines, they'll slow you down! Be cautious of poison, she works with plant life!" He yelled out the warning while lifting his sword in his singular hand, aiming straight for the demon's neck. It was worth a try, and he always attacked the neck when Genya was occupied distracting the demon. It gave him the perfect opening.
That didn't go as planned though, as the demon did not even turn her head to look at him while vines extended from her upper back and targeted him. He dodged within the air at the last second, landing on the ground nearby and looking up at the demon with hatred in his eyes. Based on the information they had, she was targeting children and pregnant mothers. What kind of sick fuck? Shaking the thought from his mind, he jumped in to continue his attacks without faltering. The anger only encouraged him more, but he couldn't let his emotions get the best of him and cause problems.
Just then, the demon spoke.
"You children are strong! Incredible! If I eat you, I'll get strong faster! Please, just let me have a bite!" Her eyes were wide and manic, bright with excitement at the possibility of having a stronger meal.
This demon was smart, and could speak and form sentences that made sense. This was different from the weak demons they've been facing for months after Muzan's defeat. This one was able to secretly consume a good number of humans within that time, somehow evading the suspicions of other people within the town. That's okay, everything was fine. Having one hand wouldn't prevent him from performing to his best ability, and he had Genya. He had Genya.
"Shut the fuck up and die already." Muichiro narrowed his eyes and aimed for her neck yet again, grateful to Genya for keeping her distracted so she couldn't immediately restrain him in the vines that they'd seen before. However, just as his sword touched her neck, countless vines erupted and curled around it to block his sword the best they could. Using his one hand, his face scrunched up and he used all of his force to try and cut through, making a struggling sound in the back of his throat. He was so close—his sword cutting through the vines and even slicing her neck slightly. Before he could cut through any further, the vines gave up on protecting her neck and extended out to immediately wrap around his body instead. He gasped, eyes widening and grip on his sword tightening. He was so focused on putting all his energy into slicing off her neck that he wasn't able to react fast enough to dodge her attack.
Genya was still preoccupied with keeping all her offensive attacks focused on him, but she had enough defense on her neck that it caught Muichiro off guard. With his body now confined in the thorny vines, he struggled and tried to free himself. They were wrapped around his good arm the tightest, making it impossible for him to move it or the sword in the slightest. He couldn't cut through with his only good hand restrained. The vines dug into his skin, countless large thorns piercing through and making his arm sting all over. There were a few vines around the rest of his body, but most of her strength was being used to make sure he couldn't swing his sword. Dammit!
Genya watched as Muichiro attempted to slice off her head. He thought he'd done it, he really did, until the vines extended like a trap and held him in place. The smaller boy now sat on the ground, writhing as much as possible even when the thorns tore up his skin and just made matters worse. Without his sword, there was no way he was getting out of there. He had to do something.
Growling, he dodged the next array of attacks and ran around the demon to grab some of the vines that Muichiro sliced away from the two children at the start of the fight. He brought them up to his mouth and ate them. The thorns cutting open his mouth didn't matter at the moment, because in a split second he was back at the demon to make sure she didn't start attacking Muichiro instead of him.
All of the sudden, the whites of his eyes were no longer white. Veins popped out of his head and framed his features, and his teeth were replaced by large fangs. This was something Muichiro hadn't seen before, and he didn't have time to warn him or tell him about it. He just—forgot. Hopefully he wouldn't scare him too bad.. the last thing he wanted to do was make Muichiro uncomfortable with his presence. It would be okay, he had to do this to make sure they wouldn't get hurt anymore.
Genya, with newfound strength and ability, reached out and ripped off the head of the female demon in front of him. He pulled out his gun, shoving the demon's body down and shooting it multiple times in the neck—right where he'd ripped the head off. The demon thrashed, screaming and kicking her legs to try and escape the death that was quickly catching up to her. The look in Genya's eyes was menacing; he was drooling, growling, baring his teeth while finishing off the demon below him. The anger mostly erupted from Muichiro being hurt during the fight, but mixed with his demon-like appearance left for a scary sight.
As the demon started to disappear, the vines around Muichiro faded away. He hadn't been paying attention when Genya consumed some of the demon—he just remembered looking up from his sword at one point and seeing the person he loved most in the world overcome with the hunger and anger of a demon. He stared in belief, eyes wide and becoming glassy with tears.
"Genya?!" The desperate plea was cut short when he was finally fully free of the vines that were restricting him. He slumped to the ground, gripping his sword and choking on a sob.
Overtaken by the grim possibility of his first love being a demon, his mind foggy with the worst pain he'd ever felt before, he left up his sword and sliced into Genya.
The intense fear and hatred towards demons caused him to react brashly. If someone he loves turns into a demon, he had to kill them. It didn't matter who it was, a demon is a demon. A demon is a demon. He faltered, though, being on the ground and overcome with grief. His sword went through Genya's middle, slicing him in half.
The shock from both of them was prominent. Genya fell to the ground and looked down to see the damage done, eyes wide and confused. What just happened? His vision was becoming blurry.. oh, did Muichiro do this? His attention turned to the other boy, tears forming in his own eyes when he pieced together the situation. He scared Mui. Oh, no..
"M-Mui—I'm sorry.. sorry.." He mumbled between little wheezes, weakly lifting up his hand and holding it out towards the other with what minimal strength he had left. Muichiro lifted his head and looked at Genya with the saddest expression he'd ever seen on someone before. The smaller boy scrambled over to him and took that hand within his own, squeezing as tight as he could.
"Oh no- Genya, what have I done?! Oh my god, no.." He let go of his hand to lean down and lift up Genya's upper body, pulling him as close as possible and sobbing into his shoulder. When Genya started to whisper out apologies and try to comfort Muichiro, he just shook his head and rested him back down to try and frantically figure out a way to fix what he'd done.
Genya brought his hand up and delicately placed it onto one of Muichiro's cheeks, looking up at him with a sad smile and tears overflowing down his cheeks. "Mui.. I'm so sorry—I'm so glad.. you're safe. You're okay.. I'm so happy.." His thumb rubbed lightly against the soft, pale skin that was stained with tears. His words were being drowned out by the frantic sobs from his friend.
"Pl-ease.. don't apologize—I'm sorry, I was so scared I lost you! Now I—I..." He leaned down and lowered his head onto Genya's chest, sobbing again and grabbing his hand tightly, desperately. Genya returned the hold, even bringing up his other hand to hold Mui's in both of his own hands. His grip was weak, and was slowly becoming weaker as the blood loss caught up to him. With his special biology, something like this would take a much longer amount of time to kill him.
"I'm so- sorry for scaring you, Mui... I'm so, so sorry.. I.." Genya struggled and choked on his words, turning away for just a moment to cough up blood—earning a worried stare from Muichiro and another broken look. Why did he look so devastated? Genya didn't think he was that important to the other boy... but.
"I love you, Muichiro.."
The look on Muichiro's face was one he'd never seen before. It was the most expressive one he'd ever seen on him. Tears running down his cheeks, eyebrows raised now in surprise, and cheeks flushed from either the amount of crying he was doing or the newfound information.
"Please.. do you love me too..? It's the last thing I want to hear before I..." His words trailed off, the smile on his face sad and yet hopeful at the same time. His arms went completely limp, falling back to the ground while he struggled to keep himself conscious.
"I love you so much, so so much, Genya. I love you, I love you! Please stay! Please—" He choked on another sob and then scrambled down, pushing his body back together as gently as he could. Frantically, he searched his mind for something to do. Genya looked relieved, peaceful, happy.. he looked so happy that the feelings were mutual. He couldn't die. "Please stay with me! Genya, hold on!" He kept sobbing, ignoring the apologies from the other that only came out in quiet whispers. Muichiro stumbled over and grabbed onto the arm of the demon that was slowly disintegrating, crawling back over and holding it over Genya's mouth. When the other didn't respond, he forced his mouth open and pushed the flesh inside. "Please, please.. I'm begging you, live! I'll do anything.." He kept his hand there with the arm, slumping down over his body and letting out some more small cries when he had realized it was too late. The only thing he could do now was hold onto what was left of the happiest time in his life, until it all disappeared from his arms once more.
A few seconds of only his crying passed, interrupted by Genya's jaw adjusting and biting into the flesh just before it disappeared. Muichiro startled, jumping up and collecting any more pieces of the other demon he could find before pushing them to Genya and making him eat whatever he could. This wasn't it, he could heal. He could regenerate. "Genya! My love, you can do it. Please live, regenerate! You can do it, please.." He begged more and more, staring at his face and waiting for some sign of life.
There it was, Genya's eyes slowly opened once more, and his body began to regenerate and reattach. It was slow, oh so slow, but he was alive. That information alone had Muichiro clinging onto him with sobs of relief now, trying his absolute best to not climb all over him just so that he could let the other fully heal from what he'd done first.
"'My love'..?" It was the first thing Genya said, his voice hoarse and broken, but working. He even let out a chuckle, that little...
"Genya!!" Muichiro ignored his stupid little remark, small arms wrapping right about him and pulling him as close as possible. He even wrapped his legs around him, clinging on for dear life as if losing him again was just around the corner.
"I love you, Mui.." The tone alone made it clear that he was smiling, happier than he'd ever been before.
"I love you too. I love you so much." There were still hints of crying in his tone, but it was overcome by the sheer happiness he felt. It was so overwhelming that he forgot about everything else.
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